Newberry County boat manufacturer expanding operations

Listen to this article

Saltwater fishing boat manufacturer Sea Pro Boats LLC is investing $3.7 million in an expansion of its Newberry County operations expected to create 50 jobs.  

The company has manufacture center console fishing boats for more than 30 years. The expansion, expected to be completed by spring 2022, will increase operating capacity at its facility at 25214 S.C. Highway 121 in Whitmire.   

“Sea Pro Boats LLC is pleased and excited to be part of a growing county that can offer many different employment options as well as produce a product for our customers that is of top quality and made with integrity,” Jimmy Hancock, Sea Pro Boats president, said in a news release from Central SC Alliance. “We pride ourselves in being a family-oriented business and treat our employees with respect and dignity while providing them with the satisfaction that they are manufacturing a well-built boat that will be around for a long time.” 

For employment information, contact April Sligh at asligh@seapromfg.com or apply in person.  

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has awarded a $100,000 Set-Aside grant to Newberry County to assist with costs related to the project. 

“The recruitment of Sea Pro Boats LLC to a vacant textiles factory near Whitmire back in 2015 was the first significant economic development that has happened in Whitmire in years,” Newberry County Council Chair Henry H. Livingston III said. “We thank Sea Pro Boats LLC for investing in Newberry County once again, and we wish them many, many years of continued success at producing some of the finest boats in the world.” 

As the COVID-19 pandemic intensified demand for outdoor activity, boat sales throughout South Carolina grew during the past year. Sportsman Boats in Summerville is producing nearly 400% more units compared to pre-pandemic levels, while Falcon Boats, a two-seater fishing boat manufacturer in Newberry, recorded record sales. 

According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, South Carolina has more than half a million registered boats and ranks seventh in the county in boat ownership, with one in 10 state residents owning a boat.